Traction splint



' Dec. 24, 1946. J KOLARIK 2,413,053

TRACTION SPLINT Filed Dec. 15, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 e/bl-IN K01. A R [K w 36 I INVENTOR.

Dec. 24, 1946. KO A IK 2,413,053-

TRACTION SPLINT Filed Dec. 15, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jomv KOLAR/K INVENTOR.

A TfOH/VEY Patented Dec. 24, 1946 UNITED. STATES PATENT- oFFl-cE;

TRACTION SPLINT John Kolarik, Brooklyn, N. Y,

Application December 15, 1944, Serial No. 568,268.

3 Claims. (Cl. 12884) My invention relates to traction splints andhas particular reference to splints, for bracing broken bones in a patients leg.

For healing broken bones of the leg, such as tibia, metal pins are usually inserted above and below the broken portions of the bone, the ends of the pins being held in metal splints thereby firmly holding the broken part of the bone together until healed.

My invehtionhas for its object to provide a metal splint which canbe usedfor supporting the pins in the broken portions of the leg bone in a fixed position until the bones are healed,allowing at the same time the patient to walk without any danger of disturbing the proper, relative position of the bones.

Another object of my invention is to provide a splint in which the pins for the two broken portions of a bone are held in adjustably joined parts of the splint in such a manner that-the bones can be ulled apart, allowing a traction between the portions of the broken bone, for placing the broken ends in a correct relative position, andfirmly securing the parts of thesplinttogether when the bones are correctly set.

Another object of my invention is to provide means to adjust therelative angular position of the foot relative to the position of the tibia or other bones of the leg and to.hold. thefootin the adjusted position until the bones are healed.

Another object of my invention is to; provide a splint which can be firmly secured to apatients leg in several places and which can. be adjusted for the legs of different sizes.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a splint which can be used: for setting the broken leg bones and, when the bones are healed, as a splint for supporting the leg until its normal functions are restored.

My invention is more fully described in. the accompanying specification and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of my traction splints;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the lower portion of the splint, showing the foot supporting parts;

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of a foot plate;

Figs. 5 and 6 are twoviews of a lower adjusting connecting part;

Figs. '7 and 8 are two views of an .upperzadjus ing. connecting part;

Fig. 9' is a perspective view. of the, splintused for setting the thigh structure;

Fig. 10is a fractional detail view of thelowel' end of the splint;

Fig. 11 is an end view of the lower endofbthe; splints;

Fig. 12 is a fractional detail view of parts of the splint shown in Fig.9.

My traction splint comprises side braces I having enlarged portions:.2 at the top-'towhich up er braces 3 are pivotally connectedat; The pivot 4 is offset relative to; the upper. brace as shown, and the enlarged portion ZisrecessedatS, allowing the two pairs of braces to assume an angular position asshown', with the apexgof the angle extending to the rear, therebylocking the pivoted connection by the weight of "the body. Springs 1, 8 are connected to the lower, braces by bolts 9, H1 and to the upper braceby a. bolt H,- The upper braces are provided-with adjustable-leg bands l2, [3 of a suitable construction. The lower braces are hollow for telescopic extensions l5, held in their positions by tightening. screws [5. Notches or corrugations I! are provided-on the extensions for the ends of the screws 16', to prevent slippage.

It should be noted that the generalco nstru tion of the braces is the same asdisclosedin my copending patent application, Serial-No; 536,036; filed May 18, 1944.

The lower braces support metal bands It, curved to lit the patients leg and provided with several holes IQ for a traction pin 2i], which passes through a corresponding hole in the, patients leg bone or tibia. The bands l8 arefastened to the braces by clips 2| with looking screws 22.-

The lower ends of the extension rods la-have holes for the ends of a rod 25 which are threaded for locking nuts 26. A sleeve -21--is rotatively supported on the rod 25 andare secured to a-lower adjusting plate ordisc 28 supporting an upper adjusting plate or disc 29. The plates-are shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6. The plate 28 is pro-, vided with slots 30 for screws 31. and the upper. plate 29 is provided with threadedholestiilfoit these screws so that the upper' plate can. be secured to the lower plate in di-fierent relative angular positions. The upper plate has a semi-, circular rib 35 with a hole 36for a-bolt 31 having a wing nut 38. The bolt 31 supportslegs le- -of adjustable side bands 4|. Thebands are pro* vided with holes 42 forlower traction pins 53 which are inserted into the correspondingholes in the lower portion of the patientis legbone or tibia. The bo1t3l also supports a tongue is, extending from afoot plate 45. v

e br c s us d or-.proner vl ettin r ke 3 leg bones. For this purpose, traction pins 20, 43 are inserted into the bones above and below the point of fracture, the ends of the pins being held in the bands l8 and 4|.

The screws 22 are fastened firmly and the patients foot with the foot plate 45 is pulled outwards for bringing together the broken ends of the bone. After joining the ends of the bones, the bottom extension I 5 is then fastened securely with screw I6. The bolts 3| are loosened for turning the patients foot in a proper position in a horizontal plane, and are tightened when the proper position of the foot is obtained. The winged nut 38 is then loosened for turning the leg with the bands 41 into a proper position in a vertical plane, and is tightened when the leg is in the proper position. The brace is then worn by the patient until the bones are properly healed.

When the bones are healed, the traction pins 20 and 43 are extracted, and the side braces M with their supporting parts removed and replaced with an ordinary attachment for supporting the patients foot as disclosed in my aforementioned copending application. The brace can be then worn by the patient until the full use of the leg is restored.

My traction splint can be also used for setting broken femur bones. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 9. The springs l, 8 are removed for this purpose, and links 50 are attached at their ends to the upper end lower braces by the screws or bolts I and I I. The links 56 are provided with several holes for the screws so that the two pairs of braces or splints can be joined together at a desired angle for holding the patients leg rigid and bent at the knee. The screws l I are also used for attaching flare-out ends 49 of tubular members 52. Extension rods 53 are slidably fitted in the open ends of the tubular members 52 and are threaded for wing nuts 54. The end portions 55 of the rods 53 are bent at right angles towards each other and are placed in a sleeve 56. The sleeve 56 has a slot 51 for screws 58 which hold the end portions 55 in an adjusted position, to suit different sizes of patients legs. The sleeve 56 carries a plate 59 with a hole for a screw 60 which secures the ends of a link 6|, having a number of holes 62 for screws 63 with which it is attached to a second link 64, the end of the second link being attached by a screw 65 to the joined ends of side bands 4|, similar to the bands M of Fig. 1, the bands having holes for the traction pin 43 which is inserted in the lower portion of the patients fractured femur. The links BI, 62 are adjusted for the required length, and the final tension or traction is given to the broken bone by tightening wing nuts 54. The rods 53 are flattened at one side as shown in Fig. 12 and are provided with marks 66 indicating the ten-- sion in pounds as has been found experimentally for stretching the broken portion of a human leg. After the bones have been properly set, the patient is left with the splint in a tightened position until the bones are healed. With my splint it is not necessary to use other means to support or stretch the leg with reference to weights and pulleys and the patient can move around or walk with crutches without disturbing the relative positions of the broken bones.

It will be understood that various features and principles of each of the embodiments of the invention above described or referred to may be utilized or substituted in the other embodiments.

While the invention has been described in detall with respect to certain particular preferred examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and further modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A traction splint comprising a pair of upper braces; means to removably attach the braces to a patients thigh; a pair of tubular lower braces pivotally connected to the lower ends of the upper braces; metal bands slidably supported on the lower braces; mean to detachably fasten the bands to the braces, the bands being provided with holes for a traction pin; extensions telescopically fitted in the lower braces; means to lock the extensions in the lower braces; a rod transversely supported at the lower ends of the extensions; a lower plate rotatively supported on the rod; an upper plate adjustably supported on the lower plate; a foot plate adjustably supported on the upper plate; and side bands adjustably supported on the upper plate in a plane at a fixed angle to the plane of the foot plate and provided with a plurality of holes for a second traction pin, the side bands being arranged to be held at the sides of the patients legs the position of the foot plate being adjustable simultaneously with the position of the second traction pin by adjusting the telescopic extensions.

2. A traction splint comprising a pair of upper braces ;.means to removably attach the braces to a patients thigh; a pair of tubular lower braces pivotally connected to the lower ends of the upper braces; metal bands slidably supported on the lower braces; means to detachably fasten the bands to the braces, the bands being provided with several holes for a traction pin; extensions telescopically fitted in the lower braces; means to lock the extensions in the lower braces; a rod transversely supported at the lower ends of the extensions; a lower plate rotatively supported on the rod; an upper plate adjustably supported on the lower plate; a rib vertically extending from the upper plate and having a hole for a bolt; side bands having angular lower extensions with holes for the bolt; a foot plate; a tongue extending from the foot plate with a hole for the bolt; a nut on the bolt for tightening the bands and the'tongue in adjusted positions, the side bands having holes for a second traction pin the position of the foot plate being adjustable simultaneously with the position of the second traction pin by adjusting the telescopic extensions.

3. A traction splint comprising a pair of upper braces; means to removably attach the braces to a patients thigh; a pair of tubular lower braces pivotally connected to the lower ends of the upper braces; metal bands slidably supported on the lower braces; means to detachably fasten the bands to the braces, the bands being provided with several holes for a traction pin; extensions telescopically fitted in the lower braces; means to lock the extensions in the lower braces; a rod.

transversely supported at the lower ends of the extensions; a lower plate, a tubular member attached to the lower side of the lower plate and rotatively mounted on the rod, the lower plate having holes for bolts; an upper plate supported on the lower plate and having arcuate slots for the bolts; means to tighten the plates together by tightening the bolts; a rib extending in'a substantially vertical direction from the upper plate in a plane of the two side bands and having a hole; ening the bolt thereby locking together the side a bolt in the hole in the rib; side bands having bands and the tongue of the foot plate the posiangular extensions at the lower ends with holes tion of the foot plate being adjustable simulfor the rib bolt, the side bands having holes for taneously with the position of the second traca second traction pin; a foot plate; a tongue ex- 5 tion pin by adjusting the telescopic extensions. tending downwards from the foot plate and having ahole for the rib bolt; and a nut for tight- JOHN KOLARIK. 

